Island of Doom: Hunchback Assignments 4

Overview

After previous assignments in London, the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Australian rain forest, this final adventure in the Hunchback Assignments series finds our hero, shape-shifting, masked spy Modo, on his most personal quest. Along with fellow spy Octavia Milkweed, they search for Modo's biological parents. But when the Clockwork Guild find Modo's parents first, Octavia and Modo chase them across Europe and North America to the Island of Doom. Joined by memorable characters from the first three ...

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Island of Doom: Hunchback Assignments 4

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Overview

After previous assignments in London, the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Australian rain forest, this final adventure in the Hunchback Assignments series finds our hero, shape-shifting, masked spy Modo, on his most personal quest. Along with fellow spy Octavia Milkweed, they search for Modo's biological parents. But when the Clockwork Guild find Modo's parents first, Octavia and Modo chase them across Europe and North America to the Island of Doom. Joined by memorable characters from the first three books—some lovable, and some who are terrifying and evil—Modo and Octavia dash towards a thrilling conclusion.

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Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature - Judy Silverman
This story begins with a most unpleasant premise—that a severely physically challenged young man (read "so hideous-looking that anyone who sees him shudders and turns away) also happens to be a "shape-shifter." This is the fourth volume of the series "The Hunchback Assignments." The young man, Modo, carries a mask which he puts on whenever he has to be with people who have never seen him before. We learn a bit about his prior life and adventures, that his parents rejected him at birth and either 1) sold him to a carnival or 2) left him on the steps of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, that he was found by the mysterious Mr. Socrates and educated by him with other young people who would eventually save the world. The narrative is peppered with references to classic literature—Macbeth and The Hunchback of Notre Dame come immediately to mind. And Modo is not entirely alone; Octavia and Colette both seem to like him in spite of his looks, and the boy Oppie admires him tremendously. Once the reader gets over the initial unpleasantness, it is an enjoyable read: fast-paced and exciting. Reading will want to read the series in order. Reviewer: Judy Silverman
Kirkus Reviews
Modo is back for one last adventure. Horrendously ugly, but superhumanly strong and able to change his face and form briefly, Modo has been a valuable agent of the Permanent Association, a secret group dedicated to protecting Britannia. But three months after The Empire of Ruins (2011), he has been effectively suspended from duty for disobeying Mr. Socrates, the man who has raised but never parented Modo. When French teen agent Colette (The Dark Deeps, 2010) contacts Modo, he and Octavia, along with Mr. Socrates and Tharpa, are drawn back into conflict with the wicked Clockwork Guild, which seeks to bring down the British Empire and everyone else as well. The Guild has continued to advance, with resurrected creatures made from dead bodies (think Frankenstein's monster); meanwhile, the Association has powerful steam-powered, armor-clad soldiers of their own, who were once the children harnessed by the Guild to bring down Parliament (The Hunchback Assignments, 2009). Adding to the drama, Modo's parents may be alive, and Colette and Octavia vie for his attention despite his true, awful face. Beneath the action runs the question of "who am I"; while the answer may prove elusive, this final showdown helps Modo face the question and begin to answer it for himself. By turns touching and pulse-pounding, this conclusion will leave fans fully satisfied. (Steampunk. 11-14)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780375854064
  • Publisher: Random House Children's Books
  • Publication date: 9/10/2013
  • Series: Hunchback Assignments Series
  • Pages: 320
  • Age range: 12 years

Meet the Author

ARTHUR SLADE has published several novels for young readers, including The Hunchback Assignments; The Hunchback Assignments 2: Dark Deeps; The Hunchback Assignments: Empire of Ruins; Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival; Megiddo's Shadow; Tribes; and Dust, which won the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature. He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with his wife, Brenda Baker, and their daughter. 

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